Chapter 149: Shattered Dao Heart

Chapter 149: A Shattered Dao Heart

Inside the Dongzhou palace, Fen Tian remained seated, his eyes fixed on the gradually dimming image before him. A slight frown creased his brow as he seemed lost in thought.

Suddenly, a plume of black smoke emerged from behind him, coiling gently around his shoulder as if alive.

"Get away! Don't try to control me!" Fen Tian impatiently scowled, striking fiercely at the smoke, but his hand passed right through it.

In the next moment, the smoke engulfed him entirely. An eerie light flickered in his blood-red eyes, his gaze oscillating wildly between reason and utter madness.

Just as he battled the other soul within him for control of his body, footsteps echoed outside the hall. Ying Huang strode in and stopped before him.

"The hundred cultivators have been settled in the side hall. How does the Demon Lord wish to deal with them?"

Fen Tian lowered his head, his voice unnaturally cold and gentle. "Naturally, kill them. Take them to Serpent Prison Mountain. I will personally end their lives before the eyes of all demons!"

A flicker of doubt crossed Ying Huang's eyes. He had just declared he didn’t want war with the Immortal Clan—how could his mind change so swiftly?

Though she belonged to the pro-war faction, she had no desire to rashly ignite conflict. Such an act would only plunge the already weakened demon race into deeper peril.

She looked up at Fen Tian. "Demon Lord, this action may provoke the Immortal Clan and jeopardize the current peace."

Fen Tian remained with his head bowed, his palm pressed against his forehead, his features hidden in shadow, indistinct. He let out a low, cold laugh. "Peace? Hah... What I desire is war! Those despicable, shameless Immortals—I want them utterly erased from this world!"

Ying Huang’s heart skipped a beat. Was he descending into madness again?

Ever since he ascended to the position of Demon Lord, his temper had been volatile, his words often contradictory.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that with him leading the demon race, their ultimate ruin was inevitable.

Moreover, in the history of the demon race, there had never been a male Demon Lord. If not for the former Demon Lord Mu Rongci’s stubborn insistence, they wouldn’t have been forced to serve such a fickle turncoat.

Rumors claimed Fen Tian was the child of Mu Rongci and Gong Sunxiong, and for years, he had secretly dispatched agents to investigate his origins.

"Those not of our kind will surely harbor different loyalties."

She feared that once Fen Tian discovered his true heritage, he would betray them, offering the demon race as a sacrifice to the Immortals.

Time was running out.

They had to find a way to surpass Fen Tian and dethrone him!

Her reason for founding Eternal Night and aiding humans against Immortal oppression was twofold: to strengthen the demon race and to cultivate a successor capable of opposing Fen Tian.

Alas, true geniuses were rare—there would never be another Mu Rongci.

Eternal Night’s failure had left Ying Huang deeply disappointed. She had nearly abandoned hope until today, when she saw Chou Qianling and the mysterious demon behind her. Hope ignited within her once more.

No matter what, she had to bring them to her side!

With this thought, Ying Huang lowered her eyes and said softly, "Demon Lord, these cultivators were heartlessly abandoned by the Immortals. They must be filled with resentment. Rather than killing them, wouldn’t it be better to turn them to our cause?"

This way, if Chou Qianling proved useful, she could naturally be integrated into the demon race.

But upon hearing this, Fen Tian’s voice turned sharp. "I said, kill them! Are you the Demon Lord, or am I?"

He lifted his head slightly, his long black hair falling over his face, revealing only a single blood-red vertical pupil glaring coldly at her through the strands. "Ying Huang, don’t forget your place. You are nothing but my defeated opponent. It is not your place to instruct me!"

Ying Huang was taken aback, then anger surged within her. If not for him inheriting Mu Rongci’s cultivation, how could she have lost to him in their duel? She had even lost a demon horn, and her cultivation had plummeted to the Demon Infant realm.

She clenched her fists, wishing she could kill Fen Tian on the spot.

But remembering his terrifying strength, nearing the Great Demon Realm, she loosened her grip and replied in a low voice, "Yes, as you command, Demon Lord."

Seeing her swallow her pride, a flicker of satisfaction crossed Fen Tian’s eyes. "Good. Then carry it out swiftly. In ten days, I will offer sacrifices to the Demon God at Serpent Prison Mountain and execute the Immortals."

Ying Huang gritted her teeth and agreed, then took her leave and turned to depart.

Fen Tian watched her retreating back, a sinister smile curling his lips.

————

Chou Qianling was led alone to an elegant room.

She had barely sat down when Bai Xiu and the others quietly slipped in. Their eyes filled with gratitude, they pressed spirit stones, high-grade demon-resistant robes, and other items into her hands, insisting it was to thank her for saving them.

Chou Qianling was deeply moved. She never imagined she would one day receive gratitude from demons. Compared to the hypocritical Immortals, their thanks felt far more sincere.

But she hadn’t saved them for rewards and didn’t want to accept their gifts.

"I didn’t save you for your sake. I just disliked those male cultivators and wanted to vent my anger," she said, trying to push the gifts back.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door, followed by a cold, stern voice. "What are you all doing here?"

Bai Xiu recognized the voice immediately as Miss Ying’s and hurriedly said, "Miss Ying, we were just leaving."

With that, she turned and left, the others following in a rush. In an instant, the room was empty, leaving only Chou Qianling standing bewildered, arms full of gifts.

It wasn’t until the footsteps approached that she snapped out of it and hastily stored everything in her storage pouch.

Looking up, a strikingly beautiful yet cold face suddenly filled her vision, startling her so much her heart skipped a beat. After a moment, she managed to speak, "Demon Lord... what brings you here?"

Miss Ying smiled slightly, the coldness in her eyes melting like snow. "Just call me Miss Ying. Please, have a seat."

Chou Qianling wasn’t sure why she had been summoned alone. Considering she had just saved demons, the Demon Lord probably wouldn’t cause trouble for her, so she cautiously sat down.

Miss Ying took a seat beside her and lightly tapped the tea table between them. A set of exquisite white jade tea utensils materialized out of thin air, steam rising gently from the teapot.

"The Demon Realm is humble, and we have little to offer. Please forgive the simplicity," Miss Ying said as she poured tea and pushed a cup toward Chou Qianling.

Surprised by such politeness, Chou Qianling felt uneasy. "Miss Ying, if you have something to say, please speak plainly. If it’s to thank me for earlier, there’s no need. It wasn’t my doing alone."

Miss Ying remained smiling, her usually indifferent tone now carrying a hint of warmth. "I invited you here indeed to express gratitude for the great kindness shown by you and your master, especially your master, who possesses the heaven-defying ability to alter the Principle. It truly fills me with admiration. I wonder... might I ask for your master’s esteemed name? So that we may remember it with reverence."

Though her words carried an undertone of probing for her master’s identity, the admiration in her voice was genuine.

Hearing this, Chou Qianling felt a surge of pride. Of course, her master was the most formidable in the world!

She was about to answer when it struck her—Miss Ying should know Mu Rongci. How could she not guess her master’s identity? Just because she wore a mask?

Suspicion arose in her heart. She decided to ask her master for clarification that night. As for Miss Ying, until she knew where she stood, it was better to be cautious.

What if she was on Fen Tian’s side? Revealing her master’s identity outright would be disastrous.

So she evaded, "Well... my master never told me her name."

Miss Ying saw that she was unwilling to disclose it and changed the subject. "Then, might I ask where your master is now? She has done so much for the demon race. I would like to visit and thank her in person."

Chou Qianling shook her head. "I don’t know. She’s always been elusive. Outsiders won’t find her if they try."

Ying Huang was surprised by how guarded this girl was, unwilling to give anything away. She couldn't help but sigh, "Well, that complicates things."

Chou Qianling asked curiously, "What's troublesome?"

Ying Huang, wanting to work with her and no longer wanting to beat around the bush, replied honestly, "Earlier, I went to see the Demon Lord. He said he wants to kill all hundred cultivators as a sacrifice to the Demon God. I tried to persuade him not to, but he’s always been arrogant and refused to listen. That’s why I wanted to ask your master for help. I’m afraid only your master can stop him in this entire demon realm."

Chou Qianling was shocked. Was the Demon Lord really that cruel? But her master had been killed by him. Even if she could summon her, she probably wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Seeing her expression, Ying Huang knew she was hiding something but didn’t call her out on it. She said softly, "If you can contact your master, please let me know. Just tell her Ying Huang has a request."

Chou Qianling nodded, "Yes, I’ll try to find a way to contact her."

Ying Huang stood up and smiled, "Then I'll let you get some rest. Rest well in this room tonight. If you need anything, just let me know."

Chou Qianling stood up to see her out. After closing the door, the smile on her face faded.

Can this Demon Lord Ying Huang be trusted?

She’s the leader of Eternal Night and has helped humans resist the oppression of the Immortal Clan. She does seem like a good person.

Moreover, from what she just said, she doesn’t approve of Fen Tian’s intention to kill them.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean she opposes Fen Tian’s rule.

I should wait and see. No need to make a decision too quickly. At the very least, she should ask her master first.

Chou Qianling had too many questions for Mu Rongci.

She walked to the inner room, lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and was soon asleep.

Outside the room, as soon as Ying Huang stepped out, her right-hand woman approached and asked expectantly, "Demon Lord, how did it go? Did she agree?"

Ying Huang shook her head, "She’s playing it close to the chest."

The subordinate felt disappointed, then lowered her voice, "So, should we arrange for someone to monitor her?"

Ying Huang paused for a moment before saying, "Not for now."

Although she was eager to know how Chou Qianling planned to contact the White-Horned Demon Clan member, she didn’t want to do anything that might antagonize her.

Let’s wait and see. There are still ten days until the sacrifice to the Demon God. There should be another way.

At worst, we can just turn them all into demons!

————

"So, are we going to become demons?"

In the side hall, the cultivators tormented by demonic energy sat together quietly, their faces filled with sorrow and indignation. Until one cultivator cautiously spoke up, breaking the deathly silence in the hall.

Someone immediately retorted, "What are you, crazy? Those who betray the Immortal Clan deserve to die."

The cultivator tightened her demon-resistant cloak but still felt the demonic energy seeping in like needles pricking her skin.

Tearfully, she said, "I don’t know whether those who betray the Immortal Clan deserve to die, but I know we’re really going to die. I don’t want to die."

Even if they had long prepared themselves for sacrifice, even if they had shouted grand and righteous slogans ten thousand times, when truly facing death, the instinct to survive still took over.

Someone whispered in agreement, "Exactly. They just keep telling us to sacrifice ourselves, but in the end, we’re just pawns abandoned by the Immortal Clan. No one will remember us."

"Maybe those men will even fantasize, saying we were just sent to amuse the Demon Lord, and we’ll be defiled and toyed with by the demons."

The one who had retorted fell silent because this was indeed very likely to happen.

The others also lost their earlier heroic fervor, simply bowing their heads in silence.

Anyone who heard Xie Yuqing’s cruel words couldn’t remain unaffected.

Their dao hearts were already shattered.